Content Inspiration from Barneys New York Holiday Window Displays

Christie collaborated on the Barneys New York holiday window displays, helping to actualize the creative concepts of artist Ebony Patterson and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of South Park by bringing the windows to life with advanced visual technology.

BACKGROUND
The windows encompass the core aesthetic of each respective artist as the base and then add another level of innovation that is unique to the Barneys New York partnership, entertaining the viewers with a dynamic viewpoint on Love, Peace and Joy. Christie helped Barneys New York to use projection mapping to animate faces.

Christie helped Jamaican-born Ebony G. Patterson animate her highly-adorned, mixed-media installations that reflect on marginalized people in the current culture. The theme was that “you can’t love someone unless you can see them.” Video of 15 adults and children recited “See me” when they are speaking, then revert back to a pattern camouflaging the mannequins against the background when quiet.

In celebration of South Park’s 20th Anniversary, three-dimensional versions of the iconic characters are brought to life using 3D projection mapping to animate their faces. They humorously talk amongst themselves while gazing through a mini holiday window display.

CHALLENGES
The main challenge was to animate multiple faces in a small area (the window display) in a way that fits the area necessary while also being engaging. Pandoras Box Quad players were used to create a seamless experience of the faces coming to life.

SOLUTIONS
Christie used eight DWU1052-Q projectors in the Ebony Patterson window and five in the South Park window with the 0.38:1 ultra-short throw lenses.

RESULTS
Once again, the holiday windows at Barneys were a success and they drew crowds and press from around the country.